Warm and relatively dry weather has allowed many producers to return to the field and make harvest progress, according to the weekly crop report released by Saskatchewan Agriculture on Oct. 1.
Seventy-four per cent of the crop is now in the bin, while 19 per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut. The five-year average (2010 to 2014) average for this time of year is 71 per cent combined and 20 per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut.
Regionally, producers in the southeast are furthest along, with 88 per cent of the crop combined. The five-year average for this time of year in the region is 68 per cent combined. Farmers in the southeast were among those in Saskatchewan able to make big gains thanks to the favourable weather.
“Many producers have wrapped up harvest while others need more time to take off the remainder of the crop,” the crop report stated.
The largest amount of rain for the region in late September came in the Moosomin area, which received six millimetres. The Tantallon area holds the regional mark for the most rain since April 1 at 414 millimetres.
Cropland topsoil moisture is currently rated as two per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 19 per cent short and one per cent very short. Meanwhile, hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 67 per cent adequate, 32 per cent short and one per cent very short.
“The majority of crop damage this week was caused by strong winds and frost; however, damage is minimal in most cases as crops were mature. There are reports that swaths are slow to dry down in some areas and that some tough grain is being placed into aeration.”
Quality issues remain a concern due to the wet conditions this fall.
In addition to wrapping up harvest, southeast farmers are busy completing fall work such as spraying weeds and working fields.
As for the rest of the province, producers in the southwest have 85 per cent of the crop combined. Seventy per cent of the crop is combined in the west-central region, 66 per cent in the east-central region, 57 per cent in the northwest and 59 per cent in the northeast.
Eighty-seven per cent of the mustard, 79 per cent of the durum, 77 per cent of the barley, 72 per cent of the spring wheat, 70 per cent of the canola, 46 per cent of the soybeans and 33 per cent of the flax have been combined.
The majority of the province did not receive any rainfall in the final days of September. Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland across the province are rated as five per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate, eight per cent short and one per cent very short.
Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture conditions are rated as three per cent surplus, 76 per cent adequate, 18 per cent short and three per cent very short.
Many areas received frost this past week, although damage is minimal in most cases, as crops were mature. Weather-related quality issues continue to cause concern in most areas.
While overall yields are reported to be about average, they vary from region to region.
